The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-06-11
DEPEADE4f PENSION BILL
DRAFTED By THE NATIONAL
PENSION COMMITTEE
or the g. A. r, Being Sent to All
Posts and Its Passage Urged
Upon Congress.

MILWAUKEE, Wis, June l0.-A
special to the EUeaing Wbconstn from
Madison, Wis, says: Adjutant Gen
eral Gray, OF the Grand Army Of the
Republic, is busily engaged in issuing
TO all the posts in the country an i'm
portant document in the nature OF a
dependent pension bill whose pssssge
will be urged upon the next Congress.
1t was drafted by the National Pension
Committee Of the G. A. X, composed
of the following members OF the order:
Geo. s. Merrill, Of Lawrence, Mass.
Louis Wagner, of Philsdelphia; James
Tanner, Of Brooklyn, n Y; John @
LineheD, OF Per acook, N. H., and
John Kouniz, OF Toledo, o This com.
mittee was appointed by Commander
in Chief Fairchild, under the resolu.
ton Of the National Encsmpment.
Section OF the bill provides that in
considering the pension claims Of de.
pendent parents, the fact and cause OF
death and the fact that the soldier
left no widow or minor children,
having been shown ss required
by law, 1t shall be necessary only
TO show by competent and sui
fiCient evidence that such pa
rent or parents are, or have been with
out other means OF support than their
own manual labor, or the contribu-
tons CT others not legally bound Tor
their support; provided, that all
pensions allowed under this section OF
this act shall commence from date OF
actual dependence, II claim was filed
prior to July /, 1880, and in case n
applications thereafter made, the pc n
eion shall commence from the date o.
the filing of the application in the
Pension Office, or from date OF sdbse
quent dependence.
Section provides that all persons
who served three months in the mill.
tary or naval service of the United
States and who have been honorsbly
discharged and are suffering from
mental ur physical disability not the
result Of their own vicious habits,
shall be entitled to receive $l2 per
month; that persons who are now re.
ceiving pensions under existing laws
or who claims are pending in the Pen
sion Office, may receive the benz Fl 6
Of this act; that no person shall re-
csive more than one pension for the
same period, and rank in the service
shall not be considered.
Section 3provides that il an invalid
pensioner has died or shall hereafter
die, leaving a widow, minor child or
children, q n Ter eighteen years of age, oi
in case there be no widow or minor
child or children q dependent mother
or father, such widow, minor child OF
children, or mother or father, shall be
placed upon the pension roll at the
rates established by law for widows,
minor children and parents, without
regard to the cause OF death Of such
pensioner; provided, that said widow
was married TO the decta ed pensioner
prior to the passage Of this act; that
the increase OF pension for minor chill
dren shall be at the rate of .$5 pei
month instead of ~ per month as now
provided by law, and in case m MOI
child is insane, idiotic or otherwise
hspless, the pension shall continue
during the life of said child, or during
the period of such disability.
Section imposes fine Of S. or inn
prisonment at hard labor not exceed
ing two years or both, in the d:scrs.
ton of the court, on agents or attor'
neys accepting greater fee than $40
payable only upon the order OF the
Commissioner Il Pensions, by the
pension agent making payment OF the
pension allowed.